On Sept. 1, the North Central Health District of the Georgia Department of Public Health tweets, students who contract COVID-19 need to quarantine in separate dorms and housing.
Students with COVID-19 while living on campus remain to seclude in the college’s county. Students who live off-campus must stay in the county of their residential address.
Georgia State partners with the DPH and local county health departments. All university protocols must follow safety measures for those who test positive or are at risk of exposure to COVID-19.
According to the Director of University Housing Dr. Shannon Corey, there is no different response for in-state or out-of-state students who have the virus.
Both in-state and out-of-state students who test positive for COVID-19 have the option to return home, but if they are not able to, they can settle in Piedmont North A.
Piedmont North A is the residence hall to isolate students who test positive for COVID-19.
According to Corey, there is no change in fees for any students who are in quarantine. Students in isolation will pay the same fees as students who only dorm on campus.
Following the CDC’s safety guidelines, residents are responsible for ensuring their areas are clean while residing in their quarantine space.
“For [isolated] spaces, university housing is cleaning and disinfecting the room after the isolation period ends, and the students return to their permanent room assignment,” Corey said.
University Housing residents can expect to see the following:
- Sanitizing stations throughout the residence halls
- Plexiglass shields at high service areas
- Staff wearing personal protection equipment
- Educational materials provided to staff and students on social distancing, cleaning rooms and proper ways to wear and care for PPE
- Maximum occupancy for shared spaces, such as lounges, learning centers and laundry rooms
- Water fountains turned off except for bottle filling stations
- Adjustments to health & safety inspection procedures
- Protocols for staff entering students’ rooms
The university develops a program that enables reports, tests and traces of COVID-19.
Georgia State is using two forms of COVID-19 testing this fall: PCR testing and saliva testing.
There are assumptions about how students in housing do not include in the results of surveillance testing. However, Corey said the housing surveillance testing recording weekly in the chart.
The chart shows results that keep students and faculties with recent updates on COVID-19 cases within the university.
As of Sept. 5 to Sept. 11, the number of positive results increases to 10 out of 177 tests that were taken.
Though an unprecedented time, University Housing works to keep students with new updates regarding remaining healthy and safe on and off campus. For more information on where and how to get tested, scan the QR code above.
